Beginning to End
by Etherniti
Summary: With how things have turned out, our favorite Substitute Soul Reaper has come back from the ultimate end and gone way back to the beginning. Pairing: YoruichiXIchigo YoruIchi IchiYoru - Time Travel
1. Back to the Past

**Beginning to End**

 **This is my very first fanfiction and I'm starting off with something that I liked when reading other authors' stories. So basically in my stories, there might be some things that may seem very familiar to you or exactly the same. Just know that I tend to take many pieces of things that I've seen and put them together while altering some to my liking to form most of my stories. This story will undoubtedly seem familiar in some places along with ideas of my own.**

"Talking..."

'Thinking...'

 _"Hollowfied..."_

 **"Quincy Zangetsu (Old Man Zangetsu)"**

 _ **"Hollow Zangetsu"**_

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. All rights to Bleach go to Tite Kubo.**

 **With that out of the way; this is a time travel story where Ichigo goes back in time to save his fallen friends (sound familiar already?) with the help of a miracle. To find out more, read the story! Happy Reading!**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

 _It was a beautiful day._ All around the Soul Society there was a peace that seemed undisturbed by the flutters of birds' wings and the gently blowing wind against the leaves. It was completely tranquil here, being surrounded by nature and a calming silence. Nothing was wrong and it didn't look as if there was anything that would be.

Not until a hole teared open the sky, gargantuan in size. It swelled up as it released pulses of spiritual pressure strong enough to bring an average Captain level Shinigami to their knees. As the monstrous void began to swell up even further, it flashed and burned as something was forcibly shot out of the colossal mass of discolored reiatsu that made up its being. As the thing made impact with the ground, the empty void let out a final powerful pulse that left a crater many kilometers deep and wide as it almost instantaneously shrunk into itself, disappearing without a trace save for the gigantic crater it left behind.

There in the center of it all, a small lump of black and white lay motionless on the beaten bare ground of the crater. A few moments pass and it shifts over to the side revealing two protruding black hilts as well as a small mangled patch of dirty orange. As the thing lay there, it moaned out three words...

"That fucking hurt."

* * *

Shunsui yawned. It had been a long day for him. There was nothing going on today but it was beautiful outdoors so he decided to take a long walk around the Seireitei to enjoy the peaceful morning break. There were the sounds of academy students practicing on the academy grounds, the happy chatter of many Shinigami going about their way, greeting each other in their own sophisticated manner. The soft breeze relaxed all of his features... the sounds of nature all around him set him at peace... the resounding noise of a colossal rip in the sky booming in the distance... Wait what? Shunsui shook himself awake.

'What is that?' he thought, before being hit by a powerful force of unknown reiatsu. His eyes widened as his straw hat was quickly blown off by the pulse. It all happened so quickly that he couldn't even react properly to the sudden change in the once peaceful atmosphere. Many Shinigami were sprawled on the floor gasping for air as each pulse built upon the others, forcing any air out of their lungs as they lay there suffocating to death.

As the pressure built, Shunsui was unconsciously forced onto his knees, unable to do anything as the hole in the sky grew bigger and more colossal in power. Then it all ended almost as soon as it started as the hole began to swallow itself up quickly disappearing into thin air.

Everyone stood up one by one, before breaking out into loud whispers. Shunsui got up slowly, still in shock of what just happened off in the Rukongai until a hell butterfly fluttered into his view and relayed its message before flying away. The Head Captain called for an immediate Captains' meeting, as was expected. The once laid back Captain for once held a serious expression on his face as he stared off into the distance and left to Squad One.

 _Captains' Meeting..._

The Head Captain slammed his cane onto the wooden floor with a loud crack as it broke the chatter of the many Captains that now stood in position before him in two neat rows with six Captains on each side. The old man scanned each face in the room before speaking to announce the start of the meeting.

"I hereby call this meeting to order!" he said as he once more cracked his wooden cane onto the floor, silencing any remaining Captain that still whispered under their breath. "I have no doubt that all of you know why I've called this emergency Captains' meeting. Nor do I doubt the fact that all of you have no knowledge of why this has happened, which is why I will now ask that each and every one of you that have seen what was happening to report your discoveries as to what this might have been to cause such panic within our walls." At this, Shunsui stepped up and began his report. All other Captains noticed the flash of seriousness in his expression and gave their full attention to the now reporting Captain.

"Well as you could see, I was taking a lovely morning walk outside when suddenly a big hole appeared in the sky. It was gigantic even from the distance and I assure you that it was over in the Rukongai in which this took place." At this, the entire room began to break out into whispers and gossips over these newfound discoveries. The Head Captain banged his cane against the floor once more silencing the Captains before looking back at Shunsui to continue.

"Well it just appeared outta nowhere and started releasing those waves of reiatsu. Everyone around me collapsed onto the floor before any of us could react. It just grew bigger and more powerful until it sucked itself up and disappeared without a trace," stated Shunsui before he stepped back in line to await the Head Captain's judgement. The Head Captain pondered on this a bit before looking back forward to state his decision.

"I see... very well. Captain Shihoin!" Said man stepped up and looked over to the Head Captain, awaiting his orders. He was a well built man with smooth features and the Shihoins' signature dark skin and gold eyes. He wore a white haori with the insignia two on his back signifying that he was the Captain of Squad Two. He had a serious face on with its scowl, furrowed brows and dark hair that helped to create the intimidating form of the leader of the Onmitsukidō.

"Gather your best men and investigate this matter at once. You are to take back anything that may be associated to the sudden event. If you require assistance, you may ask of it at anytime through the hell butterflies. Now is there anything else that anyone can add to the current information?... That is all. Dismissed!" And with 13 bursts of Shunpo, the meeting room was empty.

* * *

The mysterious man stood up unsteadily balancing himself before taking off in short flash steps then blasting off into a more powerful and speedy Shunpo. He arrived at a cave near a local village that was eerily quiet, no doubt that they were hiding from whatever created those blasts of reiatsu.

The man looked into the dark space, searching for any spiritual pressure within it before entering and settling down near the mouth of the cave to rest. The man sighed looking around at his surroundings making sure the coast was clear before closing his weary eyes and drifting into what most would suspect to be sleep, but not in this particular case. As the man closed his eyes, he felt the usual pull from within his soul and started falling into its pull. Eventually he hit something and opened his eyes back to the familiar sight of his inner world.

Beaten and torn skyscrapers that loomed out towards the horizon where the sky reveals great masses of dark clouds pouring rain out onto the run down metropolis endlessly as it had always did for a great deal of time. The man looked around, searching for two people in particular that he had wanted to talk to ever since he'd gotten out of that demented dimension.

There on one of the far off buildings resided a man with a black coat billowing wildly in the biting winds of this world. His brown messy hair whipped around his head without anything to tie it down with. Eyes staring back at the man with so much power and wisdom behind a pair of dark translucent sunglasses. His arms were hidden away in the folds of his cloak as he stood on his trademark pole as always.

Next to him, his companion was dressed in a white shihakusho with white skin and hair contrasted by his dark menacing eyes. His eyes; black sclera and gold irises, bore into the still unknown man filled with madness and killing intent. He had his arms crossed, looking distastefully at the man while bearing a frown and furrowed eyebrows wrinkling his nose in disgust. He had a big white Khyber knife strapped onto his back. It was long with a wide blade and sharp edge. The blade was hollow in the middle, a thin sleek opening wide enough to look through it, and it was held in place on the figure's back with many rolls of white bandages.

Both men stared back at the man that had just entered the raging world, seemingly gauging who would make a move first before the man with the daisho pair sighed and spoke.

"Sorry." Silence. Other than the raging storm that they were in, nothing else made a sound for a moment before the albino moved to the side giving the man a 'tsk' before speaking his mind.

 _ **"You're an idiot, you know that?"**_ he began, turning to face the man completely before continuing. **_"What the hell were you thinking about, jumping into that portal? You didn't know what would happen if you jumped in but you did, just because that_ thing _said that it would take you back?! Even I'm not crazy enough to jump in there like that and you know it!"_** he shouted, pointing an accusing finger at him as he finished. It was then that the other person next to him decided to speak.

 **"Ichigo..."** the now identified man looked over at the ethereal figure before he continued speaking. **"It is as your partner has said, you didn't know what would happen if you had jumped into that portal. Luckily it did just as the Hogyoku has said it would, but next time don't do something so reckless again. You must stay alive no matter if you feel like to or not."**

The man, now known as Ichigo, stared at the battered side of the skyscraper he was standing on before looking up to the other two beings in front of him.

"Sorry," he repeated. Before anyone else could intervene, Ichigo continued speaking. "I was desperate to see them again and when I heard that there was a chance to do that, I took it right away. I didn't think much on it but thanks for helping me through that thing. Couldn't have made it without you guys."

 ** _"Damn right you are!"_** the albino shouted loudly, both hands clenched into fists and looking straight at Ichigo with as much anger as he could to get his point through to the uneasy man in front of him. **_"What'd_** _ **ya think was gonna happen when you jumped into a portal straight into a dimension between space and time! That place is a lot more trouble to navigate through than the Precipice World! One misstep and you woulda been thrown into the dinosaur ages!"**_

Ichigo flinched as he finished speaking, or screaming was more like it, before replying yet again.

"Well yeah, I know that now and I'm sorry about it. I might be reckless sometimes but I'm not _that_ stupid. Cmon you know that right?" he said almost hopeful that the conversation would end there, but the albino only seemed to want it to continue.

 _ **"Yeah right! What about that time when you thought that Quincy was dead?! If it hadn't been for me warning you, you'd probably be missing a leg!"**_ the albino screamed as it started shaking in anger at his king's dense nature.

 **"Relax Zangetsu,"** the older man said as he pat the said 'Zangetsu' on his back. **"Although Ichigo has a bit more to learn, he's a lot more developed than he was from back in the War. He can take care of himself now and we'll be here to help him with the things that he has yet to develop."**

The now proclaimed albino 'Zangetsu' glared at the old man before crossing his arms and with a huff looked away from them both. He still was not used to being referred to by his name and it'll take some time for him to actually grow accustomed with that. Ichigo sighed as he looked at his hollow before turning to the old man who was watching him the whole time.

 **"Go now Ichigo. I think you should tell the old general about this. He will be of much help in our situation,"** the elder spirit said. Ichigo nodded at him and began fading away from his inner world. The old man then looked over to the silent hollow as he watched him walk away from him. As the hollow was walking, the old man spoke. **"Where are you going?"** he asked, just when the hollow stopped a little distance away then look back at the old man.

 ** _"I wanna spar,"_** he said simply, pulling his large saber out of its bindings and holding it in a relaxed stance. The old man sighed lightly as he materialized a shorter version of his companion's Khyber knife, his being black as it poured a slow and steady stream of reishi from its blade, and got into position across from the albino. Both looked at each other for a few seconds before the hollow sprinted forward and began the spar with the loud clash of metal on metal.

 _Back in the cave..._

Ichigo woke up to the soft glow of the evening sunset and stood up as he looked out into the dimming light from the mouth of the cave, searching for the reiatsu of anyone that may have come in or are near enough to see him. Sure enough, there all over the village were the light signatures of many people, most likely the Onminsukidō judging from how suppressed the signatures feel. He silently made his way over to the opening of the cave and peered over the edge towards the direction of the village.

He caught glimpses of the silhouettes of many people dressed in black hopping from one hut to the other on silent feet. He thought about whether he should make a run for it or wait it out before deciding on playing the waiting game. He suppressed as much of his reiatsu as he could while hiding in the deep end of the cave to wait as the last of the signatures were in a few mile distance from him.

At that he snuck out of the cave, searching for anyone else in the area before taking off in long bursts of Shunpo towards the Seireitei. As his surroundings were made into a wicked blur of black and blue, he thought about his plan of action as he approached the higher districts of the Northern Rukongai. 'Looks like we're gonna have to have a talk with the old man himself,' he mused as he blurred through the wind headed towards the large gate in the distance. Being the God of Flash did have its perks.

* * *

Head Captain Genryusai Shigeyuni Yamamoto was in his office filling out the last of his paperwork before placing it on top of his third large pile of paper and settling down into a relaxed position. It was already nighttime and many of the Shinigami were either drunk or asleep since it was already deep into the night he figured that much. He looked out towards his balcony surveying the dark Seireitei as he mused over the recent event that occurred out in the Rukongai.

The sudden appearance of something so powerful in the Soul Society set everyone into a state of unease as he thought about the spiritual pressure of the thing that appeared in the sky. To think that something so powerful to be able to match him in power, maybe even stronger than him, made him wary of whatever it was out there. In all his years as Head Captain of the Gotei 13, he has never come across something that was of this magnitude. Not in the war against the Vasto Lordes or Quincys combined had he seen or so much as felt something that made him begin to feel something very foreign to him, and that was fear. Fear of whatever that was out there because if it turns out that the thing was a threat, he couldn't even deduce who would be the victor if he were to be locked in combat against the powerful being. It unnerved him to not know something like this, and he was sure that the others felt the same as he does.

The old man let out a sigh as he got up from his seat and made his way over to the doors of his office. That was when he felt it, the slight increase in spiritual pressure in the air towards the Northern Gate. This spiritual pressure was the same as the one that came from the dark vortex in the sky and no sooner had he realized this, he was gone.

He raced towards the Gate to try to find what it was that came through to the Seireitei when he saw a man in black with his hood pulled up to shadow his face. He caught a glimpse of white underneath his black hooded cloak and stared at the man wondering who it could be until the man seemed to catch sight of him. As soon as he turned around, he blurred out of sight and reappeared to the right of Yamamoto all in less than a blink of an eye.

The old man opened one eye slightly to get a better look at the man. All he could make out through the dark was that the man was tall and had a lean build with black clothes worn over it all. He also caught sight of a zanpakuto. This made him open his other eye in astonishment at the fact that this was a Soul Reaper who was more than likely to be as powerful as himself. Never in all his years had he met a Soul Reaper more powerful than he was and yet here stood the very person who held that power, the power to fight him as an equal.

Genryusai closed his eyes once more as a few Captains appeared, surrounding the intruder. All eyes were set on the ryoka as the ryoka was still facing towards the Head Captain. The other Captains looked nervously at the foreigner, seeming to notice the familiarity of his spiritual pressure. A moment of silence passed before the Head Captain spoke up first.

"Who are you ryoka? State your business within the Seireitei," he said, opening his eyes once more as he stared down the cloaked man who was silent the entire time he had been here. A few seconds pass before the ryoka replied.

"I would like if I could speak to you, Head Captain Yamamoto. In private if you will. I will not speak my business to anyone else," he silently stated, all while keeping perfectly still except for the billowing of his cloak in the wind. The Captains all eyed him suspiciously but didn't dare make a sudden move as their Head Captain spoke up.

"Very well. We shall speak on Sokyoku Hill, the Captains shall follow until we've reached the designated area. Should you retaliate, we will not hesitate to put you down," he gruffly stated, his words commanding and full of power that was fitting for the Head Captain.

As soon as he stated this, everyone was moving in the direction of Sokyoku Hill silently as the cold midnight air brushed against their skin. While doing so, Yamamoto immediately took notice of the fact that he was a dual wielder; two large black sheathed zanpakuto on either side of his hip. One short, a wakizashi, and the other a bit longer than the ordinary katana. The ryoka was fast, fast enough to easily keep in pace with him as they dashed towards the hill.

Upon arriving on top of the hill, the other Captains were told to stay where they were as he and the ryoka began walking further away from the group. When they thought that there was enough distance to put the others out of earshot, the Head Captain motioned for him to speak. The ryoka took a moment to think over what he was going to say then sighed as he began to tell his story.

"Head Captain Yamamoto," hearing his name, he opened his eyes, giving his full attention to the ryoka. "I've come very far to where I am now and I'll have you know that what I'm about to say is by no means a joke at all, and is all very much true."

Hearing the ryoka say this, he couldn't help but wonder just how ludicrous this would sound had he not been warned like he'd just did. If whatever he was about to say was indeed as crazy as it might sound, he'd have to hear it first before reasoning it out.

"Okay to start it off, my name is Ichigo Kurosaki, former Substitute Shinigami..." hearing this made Yamamoto widened his eyes in surprise. 'Substitute Shinigami? I don't think I've ever heard of such a rank,' he thought to himself before being cut off of his musing by the ryoka. "... and the Commander of the Special Force Division, otherwise known as Squad 14."

As those words left his mouth, he took off his hood as the old man saw his face for the first time. The ryoka, now known as Ichigo, was a handsome man with long dull orange hair that looked like it hadn't had a shower in ages and a blank yet serious face. He had brown eyes that showed his restrained and hidden power beneath it that eluded a large sense of power and authority for someone so young. Yamamoto was by far extremely bewildered at his appearance and statement.

"Squad 14, you say? I have never been informed of having created yet another squad from anyone with the authority to do so. Much less about a Special Force Division. Explain Ichigo Kurosaki," the Head Captain stated, being completely lost as to how all this should fit in anywhere with the broad, but yet limited knowledge of his. Ichigo wasted no time in completing the puzzle for Yamamoto to understand.

"You do not know of this because as of now, the Special Force does not exist. At least not anymore because you see, Squad 14 isn't part of this Gotei 13. It is part of the future Gotei 14," Ichigo finished, allowing Yamamoto to finish off placing in the last pieces to the puzzle himself.

'Future Gotei 14? Could this man really be from the future?' he mused, turning fully towards Ichigo to speak his mind.

"Are you implying that you are from the future, Kurosaki? If so, what reason do you have to return to the past?" he asked waiting to receive his answer.

"It is as you've said; I am from the future, I do not know by how much but what I do know is that if you intend to stay alive as well as every single one of your fellow Captains and Shinigami, then you should heed my warning and take it to heart," he warned, as he turned to face the sunrise. The feel of the crisp early morning air was already beginning to dissipate. "It is daybreak. May I ask to bring this conversation indoors?"

Yamamoto nodded and turned around, leading the way to his office. "I shall be asking you a few questions of my own about this so-called 'future' that seems to bear much importance if it is such a threat to the Soul Society, or even if what you've said is true by any means." Yamamoto looked over to him with skepticism written all over his features. "You have a lot to explain to me, Kurosaki. Let us be off," he said in a gruff voice as he took off in a hurried flash step. Today is most definitely one of the most interesting days he has ever been faced with in all his long years as Head Captain.

* * *

 **There you have it; Chapter 1 completed. I'm sorry if this story does not meet your expectations but there's always time to review and revise! Anyway, the next chapter will be a flashback to where it all started as young Kurosaki became the Commander of Squad 14. If you want to know... the pairing is YoruIchi. Sorry if you don't like, but you could always stop reading if you want to. Constructive Criticism please! Insulting comments are a waste of a good review. Bye Bye!**


	2. Promotion

**Beginning to End**

 **Thanks for the reviews guys! I'm happy to see that there are some people who enjoy my work and also a big thanks to those that gave me the constructive criticism that I needed! I will take those into consideration and revise Chapter 1 again. Thanks for liking this story, took a lot of time getting it up and running. Anyway I'll give the necessary information then Chapter 2 starts!**

"Talking..."

'Thinking...'

 _"Hollowfied..."_

 **"Quincy Zangetsu (Old Man Zangetsu)"**

 ** _"Hollow Zangetsu"_**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. All rights to Bleach go to Tite Kubo.**

 **And to answer your questions, fairygloss, I do have to inform you that yes, there isn't any Squad 14 or Special Force Division, I created those myself. Just a heads up to those that don't understand but there will be parts that don't fit into the anime/manga like what I just mentioned, but that's the beauty of Fanfictions! I get to mash some of my own ideas into it myself! :D And also, just to have it understood, when the hollow and the old man fused, that was when they were in Bankai, so they won't look like that when in their sealed state. And finally, the reason for why the inner world is so gloomy will be revealed soon enough. Anyway, Happy Reading!**

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

 _The sun peaked out over the horizon._ It shone down upon a beautiful scene; a clear lake lapping against the shore of a flower-filled meadow surrounded by large majestic oak trees. The sun continued to rise as it soon made its way to a small window that revealed a young man with vibrant orange hair in its usual messy fashion and with his arms flung over his head and a leg dangling off the bed, snoring without a worry in the world peacefully as the sun's rays spilled over his figure. The young man stirred as the morning sun woke him up from his dreams. He let out a small groan as he tried to block the sun out of his face with his blanket which was then pulled off of him to his discomfort.

He turned around to see who it was that stole his prized possession, just to get muffled by the very blanket that was taken from him. He swatted it out of his face as he heared the person giggle. Once the object was out of his face, he finally saw the culprit.

It was a beautiful woman with elegant purple hair and golden eyes that had its usual mischievous gleam coupled with her soft dark skin and a playful smirk to top it all off. She had a well endowed body and perfect figure. She was by far the most beautiful person he had ever seen but he'd never admit it out loud. The woman was the perfect example of the word 'goddess', and everything about her fit right into its definition.

The self-proclaimed goddess tisked at him before grabbing him by the shoulders and pulling him up onto his feet, forcefully waking him up. He groaned aloud as he balanced himself on his feet, feeling dizzy from his rude awakening just to be stopped by a pair of dark skinned arms wrapping around his neck. He gained a small blush as he turned around trying to pry her hands off of him, his discomfort evident in his expression. She only laughed in his face before letting go of his neck, then proceeded to walk towards his bedroom door.

She turned around to lean against the doorway, waiting for him to follow. He stood there for a minute almost dozing off again but was stopped yet again by the woman at his door.

"Oi! Ichigo! Stop trying to doze off will ya! You got a big event today. Can't afford to miss it!" she said, successfully getting him to wake up with eyes wide open now.

"Ah shit! Almost forgot... thanks Yoruichi..." he said as he rubbed his face to get rid of the numbness. He let out a big yawn, stretching his limbs, before heading for his closet.

Yoruichi smirked at finally getting him to wake up as she waited for him to clean himself up. Once he stepped out of the bathroom refreshed and fully dressed, she flash stepped behind him then began pushing him towards the doorway. He protested at first then walked himself with Yoruichi by his side. As they walked, Yoruichi struck up a conversation.

"So when did you go to sleep last night? You obviously didn't look like you had a lot of it," she said, looking at him from the side while they walked to Squad One's barracks.

"I got to the cabin at around 5:30 in the morning. Hardly got any sleep at all," he replied, squinting at the harsh sunlight beaming down on him.

"Getting very little sleep is practically part of the job of a Captain," she stated, waving a dismissive hand at him. "Shouldn't be too hard."

"Easy for you to say. I'm only 18, I still need my sleep," he said, running a hand through his hair. He looked up and saw the front doors to the barracks. "Well, looks like we're here."

Ichigo stepped up to the doors and pushed them open revealing a long polished hallway, lit up by many light sources. They began walking down the lengthy passageway, turning here and there until they finally made their way over to another large set of doors. He took a deep breath, then went ahead and pushed the last set of doors open. There in the room were all of the Captains and his friends lined up on either side of the massive room as they all turned to look to their new arrival.

Ichigo glanced around the room nervously, just as he felt a hand touch his shoulder. He glanced back to see Yoruichi give him a reassuring smile then a firm shove towards the center of the room. He stumbled to the middle of the crowd, taking one final glance around himself, then walking the rest of the way down past the rows of Captains that had their eyes fixed on him, with a few smiling at his nervousness. Once he reached the Head Captain at the front of the room, he gave the old man his full attention completely ignoring the faces his friends were making at him.

Head Captain Yamamoto stared at the young man in front of him with both hands resting upon his cane, thinking back to the various encounters with the youth along with his many astounding achievements. This boy before him had truly been an interesting one. The first time he heard of the boy, he was only a lowly human ryoka boy who had a death wish but as he fought his battles one by one, he couldn't help but become amused by the boy. Now this same boy turned man was in front of him about to become one of the highest ranking officers in all of Seireitei.

'Time seems to fly when you're old,' thought the elderly Captain as he finally focused on Ichigo who was waiting patiently, if you call twitching and glancing around the room patient. Genryusai sighed as he raised his head and began the ceremony.

"Today we are gathered here to witness Ichigo Kurosaki's promotion to Captaincy." By this point, everyone's attention was at the front of the room. "He has passed the Captain's examination tests which have been witnessed by Captains Byakuya Kuchiki, Toshiro Hitsugaya, Juushiro Ukitake, and myself. In addition, he has received an unanimous vote from all Captains as well as recommendations from several of them." The Captains who had sent in those recommendations smirked at being mentioned.

"In itself, Kurosaki has proven to be a valiant warrior as the events of the Winter War has shown to us." Many people smiled at that. It was Ichigo who had sacrificed his powers for them and that gave him the title 'Hero of the Winter War', to which everyone was grateful for. The old man looked at Ichigo briefly before continuing. "So as the Head Captain of the Gotei 13, I hereby grant Ichigo Kurosaki the position of Captain in the Gotei 13." Throughout the room, people cheered while others either smiled or smirked at Ichigo who tensed noticably from the sudden uproar.

The Head Captain banged his cane against the wooden floor. "Silence! This Captain's promotion ceremony has yet to be concluded!" Immediately the crowd went silent. After a glance around the room to silence the gossipers, he continued on with the ceremony. "Due to many requests from Ichigo and several others, as Head Captain, Ichigo Kurosaki is given Captaincy over the newly created Squad 14..." At this, there were murmurs and gasps all around the room while a select few were smiling knowingly.

The old man banged his cane on the floor again and the crowd went silent obediently. "Now as I was saying, Ichigo Kurosaki has been promoted to Captain of Squad 14 and Commander of the Special Forces Division. As the Captain and Commander of the new Division, Ichigo Kurosaki, you are responsible for recruiting members for your Squad." Ichigo nodded at this, already having a few people in mind to ask to be recruited. "You have 3 weeks to collect recruits and appoint ranked officers. That is all you are responsible for during this designated time period. Now," he started, taking the white haori from his lieutenant. "here is your official Captain's haori. Wear this with the pride and honor of being a Captain of the Gotei 14."

Yamamoto smiled under his beard as he watched Ichigo put on the haori with extensive care before putting on his serious expression again when Ichigo looked back up to him with a smirk on his face. The haori looked like any other regular haori but had a hollow mask, much like the one on his Substitute Soul Reaper badge, on his back symbolizing his rank of Commander of the new Squad Division. The inner part of his haori was a nice strawberry red and it was sleeveless, allowing better mobility in battle.

Ichigo turned around to face the crowd as Yamamoto concluded the ceremony. He let out a sigh of relief but groaned inwardly as many friends and Captains swarmed over to him to give him their praise and comments. He responded with as much respect as possible, greeting people here and there as Yoruichi watched him from the back of the crowd with pride in her expression. She laughed mentally as the new Captain was slowly overwhelmed with trying to deal with so many people at once.

Ichigo was relieved as a hand pulled him out of the group. He was almost certain that if he stayed where he was for any longer, he would've suffocated to death. He looked to his savior to see a smiling Yoruichi who seemed to be enjoying the scene. He scowled in annoyance but held back any retorts that came to mind. She just looked at him innocently, giggling a little at the light blush on his cheeks before taking his hand and dragging him out of the room, sprinting down the hall in a light Shunpo towards the front doors.

Once they were outside, she dragged them both towards her little hideout in the mountains then proceeded down into the large training grounds, much like the one underneath Urahara's Shoten. She dropped him off on the ground as he tried to regain his posture from the all too sudden Shunpo ride. He steadied himself before glaring at the smiling Yoruichi. She spoke first, not allowing Ichigo to voice his complaints.

"My, my, Ichigo. If that was enough to throw you off, then you need to kick in some practice," Yoruichi commented as she took a glance up and down his figure in the new attire. She had to say, he looked good in a Captain's haori.

"It's nothing. Just warn me next time," he replied, softening his glare slowly as he crossed his arms still facing the Goddess of Flash. He couldn't find it in himself to stay mad at the woman, no matter how much he tried. She had her ways of sneaking around people's walls, fitting for the former leader of the Onmitsukidō; a group known for its stealth, and she was particularly good at it in two senses.

She chuckled lightly at this, eyeing him playfully as she shifted over to lean on her other leg. He gave her a quizzical look before asking her a question that had lingered in his mind ever since he got here.

"So why did you drag me all the way here?" he asked just to see her flash him a mischievous smile, which told him that it wasn't something he'd particularly enjoy.

"We're going to be training again. I want my student to be the best Captain in the Gotei, so you'll have to improve your skills. Now cmon! Time for some 'Cat and Mouse'," she said, now with a full grin on her face and golden eyes gleaming with mischief. 'Cat and Mouse' was one of her favorite games to play since no one could catch her, much less keep up with her, which made the game much more fun to play as she would often tease her students. And Ichigo was by far the funniest one to tease, much to Ichigo's dismay and Yoruichi's delight.

Ichigo grimaced at the mention of the game and began sweating a little from nervousness. He hated the game mainly because of who it was that he had to play it with. The consistent teasing while attempting to keep up with the werecat made the game pure torture for him, but he wasn't one to give up easily. He mustered up his willpower and nodded at the still grinning Yoruichi who took off in a flash with him following close behind.

The sound of Shunpo filled the room as the two flashed in and out of sight. A smirking neko-woman followed by a blushing strawberry would've been the sight one would see upon entering the spacious room. And so began the new life of young Kurosaki in the Soul Society, 17 years before he went back in time.

* * *

 **And that wraps it up for Chapter 2! Sorry that I couldn't make it as long as Chapter 1. At least I tried :3 So just as a quick note for you fanfic readers out there: the odd number chapters will be featuring the events of future Ichigo in the past and the even number chapters will be the ones showing how everything led up to Ichigo using time travel. By the way, I just read your review, hornet07, and I've gotta say 'Thanks bro', one of the best reviews I've gotten so far; I very much appreciate the comments and criticism. Thank you. ;)**

 **Hope you all have a great life! Review, Favorite, Follow, Subscribe, do whatever the hell you want. Constructive Criticism is much appreciated. See ya next time!**


	3. New Beginnings

**Beginning to End**

 **I am very happy to see so many people from all over the world reading my silly little Fanfiction. Thank you guys! It's very encouraging to see that people enjoy this story I make in my spare time. So let's get straight into it!**

"Talking..."

'Thinking...'

 _"Hollowfied..."_

 **"Quincy Zangetsu (Old Man Zangetsu)"**

 ** _"Hollow Zangetsu"_**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. All rights to Bleach go to Tite Kubo.**

 **With that all being said and done with, go ahead and prepare to stare at your screen for a few minutes. Happy Reading!**

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

 _The room was silent._ The morning sun had already risen a couple of hours ago. Now it was late morning and two figures stood on the Head Captain's balcony overlooking the Seireitei. One with disheveled dirty orange hair that shaded his brown eyes and reached down to the base of his neck. He had a handsome face with a lean muscular build covered in black garments and two coats; one white, the haori of a Captain, and the other a black hooded cloak.

To his left was an old and well aged man who has seen much in his days as the Gotei 13's Head Captain. His body is covered in battle scars from many wars back in his time and now his beard had grown so long that it reached his waist, bound together with silk rope to keep the hair from falling apart and flailing around freely. His face had many wrinkles and his eyes revealed beneath the deadly power he had within. He had both hands on his old gnarled cane that hid the most powerful Soul Slayer within and he wore his haori like a blanket over his shoulders.

Both men, two of the most powerful beings in existence, stood together on a balcony musing over what they were to do from this point on. The old man had been informed by the time traveler next to him of some upcoming events that were to happen had he not known originally. Now with the newfound knowledge of a potential future from which this young man had come from, he began thinking over his plan of action according to what he'd just heard.

The young man, Ichigo Kurosaki, had finally told the Head Captain all that he needed to know and now started to think of how he was supposed to live in the past without altering too much. He had originally planned to go to the past, change something, then go back to the future to see if it worked but apparently the portal didn't stay behind, which was more of a good thing after seeing the giant crater in the forest and he didn't know how to go back any other way. The Department of Research and Development wasn't created since Kisuke hadn't even joined the Gotei as of yet, and Kurosutchi Mayuri wasn't someone he'd trust with the task. So he was practically stuck in the past without anywhere else to go.

Ichigo sighed to clear his head of his thoughts. If he couldn't leave then he had to stop trying to think of a way out and might as well find something to do to pass the time. Seeing as how Yoruichi was probably just a child as of now, he had a long wait ahead of him. He immediately stopped that train of thought, not wanting to think back to her. It brought about the worst memories of them all when he thought back to it.

He shook his head, forcing the painful memories back as he ignored the hollow's complaints about the weather, even though it was already pretty bad in there. It pained him to think back to the war; it had been the last war between worlds, leaving behind ruins and ashy remains of what they all used to be. Everything was gone except him and Hueco Mundo.

Ichigo looked up at the bright sunny sky and smiled. At least going back in time meant everything was just about the same as before the war. He could finally live somewhere other than an empty desert. This was what he considered paradise.

'So maybe I might have something to do,' he mused, as he took a good look around the Seireitei, stretching his senses out to try to find a familiar spiritual pressure. His eyes landed on the Academy and he stretched his senses toward it as well. Then there it was; Shinji, Kensei, Kisuke, and... Yoruichi.

That last spiritual pressure caught his attention the most. Yoruichi was in the Academy? And Kisuke too? That gave him an idea. It might just ruin the timeline or something, but he couldn't think of anything else to do so he was set on that idea.

'Just have to finish this up with the old man,' he mused, looking over to the elderly figure besides him.

"Hey old man Yama." The Head Captain rose a brow at this but remained silent for the meantime. "I've told you everything I know, now can you just alert the others? Don't want all the Captains on my tail and all. Anyways, I'll be back. See ya," he exclaimed as he jumped off of the balcony out onto the streets of the Seireitei. The Head Captain watched him for a moment in amusement before turning around and heading over the his desk.

'Such a young child. A shame he had to go through the pain of war; it's a miracle he hasn't lost his mind,' he thought to himself, looking over at the large stack of paperwork and let out a tired sigh.

 _With Ichigo..._

The orange haired anomaly walked over to the Squad Four barracks and asked for directions to the showers. The nurse pointed out the way and he thanked her before rushing down through the halls. He finally found the place and immediately got started on cleaning up. It took a while to get the grit out of particular places that won't be mentioned, but he managed and eventually came out all clean and refreshed. He'd even cleaned his clothes in the laundry department and was now in freshly washed clothes free of dirt and filth.

He now had his vibrant orange hair back still in its untamed fashion. The clothes were much more smooth and comfortable after the cleaning; it felt nice to finally be clean although someone might need to clean the showers and laundry room he used. He now wore the clothes and Zanpakutos in the same fashion as he did during the War; haori tied around his waist, shoulder pad strapped onto his left shoulder with Zangetsu behind it sheathed in bandages on his back, and the smaller Zangetsu resting on his right hip.

He took a deep breath of the afternoon air before going off to the Academy, searching for the familiar reiatsus again before promptly dashing off towards its direction. He reached the front doors of the Shin'o Academy pretty quickly considering the distance between the barracks and the Academy, but didn't think on it too much as he approached the large doors.

He pushed the doors open revealing the front desk with a young woman sitting behind it. The woman looked up and when she saw the haori, she bounced up in her seat then began tidying up her workspace. Once he reached the desk, she sat down again and folded her hands trying to look calm but failing to; she was shaking in anticipation with a big smile on her face.

He sweat dropped at her performance but nonetheless asked for the people he was looking for. She began flying around the room, searching for their schedules before getting back to her seat and handing them over. He took the schedules from her hand, making her squeal a bit but still held herself in place. He thanked her before leaving to see his former mentors.

'Some people sure are excited to see a Captain huh?' he mused and proceeded stealthily to the Hakuda training grounds.

* * *

Yoruichi was having the time of her life. Kisuke seemed to be enjoying himself as well, even with the numerous bruises that were scattered all over his body. They were at the top of their Hakuda class, even the teachers admired their skill in it. They flew around the area, dodging and kicking at one another with a certain grace to their movements. Every other student were paired up with their own partners but they lacked the speed and grace seen in her spar with Kisuke, some growing envious of the two while others tried and failed to mimick them.

They were so focused on the fight that no one noticed the man flashing into view on top of a nearby tree's branch and sat down, observing the students' spar. He watched the fight come to an end as Yoruichi swept Kisuke off his feet and plant her foot on his chest, successfully winning the match. The students around them began resuming their own spar, having been watching the whole time, as Yoruichi looked up at the teacher with sweat covering her figure and taking in large breaths of air. Kisuke groaned as he sat up, rubbing his various wounds before standing unsteadily.

The teacher went up to them to give them their last orders of the day, not before noticing the orange haired Captain reclining on a tree branch. It shocked him completely at noticing him there for the first time but soon morphed into a happy grin. All the students who noticed looked at the teacher awkwardly before turning to see what he was looking at. Once everyone saw the Captain there, they all jumped back in shock, murmuring between each other first before bursting into complete excitement. It wasn't everyday that they get to meet a Captain.

Yoruichi stared at the orange haired Captain, not noticing the weird looks she was getting from Kisuke. She just eyed the smirking Captain as he stared back at her. Before anyone else could react, he gave her a small smile and nod then turned around and flash stepped away.

Yoruichi was a bit taken back by his sudden gesture as Kisuke snickered in the back, who was silenced with a well placed kick to the abdomen after Yoruichi regained her senses.

'That man...,' Yoruichi wondered. 'I've never seen him before. Who is he?'

* * *

Ichigo sped off towards Sokyoku Hill, thinking back on what just happened.

'I wonder if I shouldn't have done that. I don't think that me visiting her every once in a while would hurt much but still, no one's ever really wrote a book about actual time travel before. Guess I'll have to figure it all out myself.' He inwardly sighed. 'I wouldn't be here if I did the right thing. Then again, I guess I wouldn't have ever guessed things would go this wrong.'

As he finished his musing, he reached the top of the hill where the execution grounds were along with the Sokyoku itself tied down with several ropes. He sat at the edge of the cliff, staring off at the dipping sunset. He continued his musing once he found a comfortable position.

'Time seems to fly in the past, huh?'

 ** _'You could say that.'_**

'Hmm...' Ichigo sighed.

'This was where it all started. Aizen's betrayal, our first meeting, even the first time I defeated a Captain.'

 _ **'Huh. I could still remember when you were such a dumbass... And you still are, don't get your hopes up!'** _ Zangetsu chuckled eerily although Ichigo had long gotten used to the hollow's language.

 **'Ichigo.'** The old man started. **'It is best that we begin to plan our actions as quick as possible. This far in the past, we don't know much about what could or would go wrong. We must tread on carefully, lest we ruin the timeline altogether.'**

Ichigo chuckled a bit. 'Really? Us being in the past has already ruined much of it.' Ichigo looked up to the darkened sky littered with stars both bright and dim. 'But I guess you're right, old man. We should try to figure out what's going on right now first before we choose where to go from here.'

Both spirits nodded at their wielder's decision and vanished back into the depths of his inner world. He stared up at the glistening stars for a bit longer before getting back up on his feet and heading off towards Squad One.

* * *

Yoruichi yawned as she finished the last of her homework and set it aside for packing later. It was late at night so she figured she would go to sleep. Even if it was the perfect time for some snooping around, she was tired and she would never hear the end of it if her parents found out that she left late at night. She may be one of the best in stealth the Onmitsukidō have seen, but her parents were the best of the best when it comes to sneaking around so she couldn't hide from them.

She got under the covers and blew out her lamp. As she closed her eyes, she saw the young orange haired Captain again. She couldn't understand what it was that made her think so much about him but he had this aura around him that felt so familiar yet she couldn't comprehend why.

She sighed in frustration. She could still hear Kisuke's teasing in her ears and she silently promised another round of beating for him in tomorrow's Hakuda session. As she drifted into the world of sleep, she had a dream of her and the young Captain on a hill together, looking up at the twinkling starlit sky. She slept soundly that night.

* * *

 **That's it for Chapter 3! Finally! I finished it! I know it's been a long month; it was for me. School sure does take a lot out of you. But at least I finished another Chapter! Sorry but I couldn't make it as long as the first Chapter; I'm losing my inspiration. Can't promise an earlier release date this time around either, but you can count on the fact that I'm not dead. So please, leave a review and have a good day/night!**


	4. Good Night

**Beginning to End**

 **I'm glad to see that my story is still appreciated. It means a lot to me and I want to thank all of you for supporting me on this. It makes me happy to be able to give something worth people's time. I really appreciate everyone's enthusiasm for this. Thank you all. So now here's the start, meet me at the end.**

"Talking..."

'Thinking...'

 _"Hollowfied..."_

 **"Quincy Zangetsu (Old Man Zangetsu)"**

 ** _"Hollow Zangetsu"_**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. All rights to Bleach go to Tite Kubo.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

 _It was already late at night._ Half of Soul Society was already fast asleep and yet two people were still awake, covered in sweat, staring up at the night sky. They were both seated at the entrance to a cave in the side of a cliff, conversing over some things that had happened that day like friends and family do over supper.

One was the young carrot top Captain, Ichigo Kurosaki, and the other was none other than the Goddess of Flash, Yoruichi Shihoin. They had trained for the entirety of the day and half of the night, so they were both considerably tired and worn out. It was a lovely night at the time so they decided to stay a bit longer, looking up at the stars that glimmered beautifully on the dark blanket of space. There was a full moon as well, which added on to the beauty of that night.

Both let out a content sigh as a cool breeze blew by, tingling on their skin as the adrenaline in their veins calmed to the serene moment. It was always good when they could relax like this after a tiring day of training, especially today. Today was the day where both of them had really put in everything they had. Ichigo had progressed extremely well throughout the past year and Yoruichi was proud to have been the one to help make him the man he was today.

Looking over to him, she couldn't help but stare. This young man definitely was quite the looker and had a very admirable personality. He had an iron will to protect all of his friends, to the extent of the loss of his own life. He had the resolve to go hand-in-hand with his firm will in which he would keep going even if his body was marred beyond repair. And all of that packed into one handsome looking man who was seated right next to her. Sometimes she wondered 'Just how in the world did he not have a girlfriend yet?'

She was too busy wondering about these things that she didn't hear Ichigo speak. It took a while for her to snap out of it, but eventually she came to.

"Hmm?" She didn't know how long she was daydreaming but the miffed look on Ichigo's face told her all she needed to know.

"I said, 'Do you have any spare time tomorrow?'" Ichigo repeated, eyebrow twitching. Yoruichi smirked. 'Oh no.'

"Oh? Now why would you want to know that, Ichi-kun?" Yoruichi asked. Her smirk widened upon seeing his embarrassment at the moment.

"Wha- I just... uh..." He huffed. "I'm just asking because tomorrow, I'm going back home to see my sisters. It's their birthday and if I don't go, Yuzu's going to worry and Karin's going to be pissed. So you want to come or not?"

Yoruichi gave him a small smile. She was happy that he invited her over to his sisters' birthday party, plenty more time to tease her young little strawberry.

"Sure. You wouldn't mind if a cat goes to a birthday party, would you?" This made Ichigo smirk at the thought of it. A black cat sitting at a table drinking milk from a platter as others wolfed down on a sizable chunk of cake.

On every single occasion that she can, Yuzu would bake tons upon tons of cake so that no one would have too little. Most of the time, she would bake too much, which led to them hoarding a large number of cake in the fridge as leftover dessert.

"Course not. If anything, it'll be better because if they found out I invited you instead of just bringing a cat along, my dad would throw one of his usual antics about me bringing a girl home and Yuzu and Karin would pester me with questions about you." Yoruichi rose a brow at this as her smile widened yet again.

'Oh? Then maybe I should just go in my human form then,' She thought to herself. Her smile grew along with her thoughts.

Ichigo noticed this but chose not to think too much on it. Yoruichi had caused too much trouble for one day, can't afford to have her giving him a headache any time soon.

"So uh, I'll see you tomorrow then. Good night, Yoruichi," he said, as he gave her one last wave then flash-stepped away into the night.

Yoruichi sighed as she stared up at the night sky once more before getting up herself, stretching a bit, then taking off to Kukaku's place. At least tomorrow, she'd be having quite the eventful day.

* * *

Ichigo wasn't in a good mood. He had planned on taking Yoruichi to his sisters' birthday party but he didn't fully expect her to come in her human form. This caused just what he'd expected; his father crying over the poster of his mother about Ichigo finally finding a girlfriend and praying for grandchildren, Yuzu and Karin bombarding him with questions about how they met and when this happened, and Yoruichi herself sitting on the couch, looking on with amusement at his family antics.

All in all, it was a bad day for him as he explained the whole situation with his usual cover-up stories and thinking about all the ways of how he could get back at the sly neko woman for causing all of this.

'That woman is gonna be the death of me,' he thought wearily. Yuzu was extra-hyper that day from trying to eat all the cake she made but soon feel asleep, and would probably be sleeping for quite a while. Karin passed out after beating off her sugar high on several pinatas and his dad was wobbling around the house, sake in one hand and cake in the other; not a good sign. Yoruichi was sitting at her favorite spot in the house, curled up against the couch armrest as she napped peacefully with crumbs of cake on her lips.

All of their friends had already gone home, which was good because he couldn't take it if he was embarrassed any further by his drunk and extra-hyper dad. Whenever he was like this, Ichigo barricaded himself in his room. There was no telling what his dad would do and how long he'd be like this. He had done the good thing and put Yuzu and Karin to bed while he set Yoruichi on his own.

He looked over her peaceful figure and smiled. She always had her way with people, even him. That sly lecherous evil little neko woman knew how to mess with his life and get away with it. Right now though, he couldn't help but marvel at how beautiful she looked in the moonlight. He used a napkin to wipe away the crumbs on her mouth before setting the extra futon he had on the floor.

Before he got under the covers on his makeshift bed, he heard Yoruichi shift in her sleep and mumble incoherent words. That put a smile on his face, as he gave the werecat one last glance before sliding under the blanket and falling fast asleep.

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Complete! Hope you all enjoyed. Sorry for making this so short, but I'm working on another story as well, so this is sort of a filler for you guys. Please leave some helpful suggestions and comments in your reviews or just PM me directly some ideas for this or a completely different story you want me to write. That's all for me; have a good week!**


	5. Fates Collide

**Beginning to End**

 **Yo, I is back.**

 **Anyway, sorry for being away for so long; two years... damn. Sorry but I got caught up in school and such, much like most of y'all out there, but I know that's just an excuse. Truthfully, I'm losing inspiration for this, mostly for how I built up this story from the start. I began writing this story in hopes of being able to create something worthwhile for me and you guys as well, but after rereading my previous chapters, I've found that I'm not really satisfied with how I built up the story. So I'll throw up a poll on my profile and I just ask you to please go let me know whether you think thi** **s story should undergo a complete rewrite, which will take a very long time, or if I should just keep continuing from where I left off and just make minor corrections to the previous chapters. So please leave a review and well, Happy Reading.**

"Talking..."

'Thinking...'

 _"Hollowfied..."_

 **"Quincy Zangetsu (Old Man Zangetsu)"**

 ** _"Hollow Zangetsu"_**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. All rights to Bleach go to Tite Kubo.**

 **P.S. I noticed that some of you didn't realize that I set up a system for how the timelines were working so I'll repeat it here once more; EVEN NUMBER CHAPTERS=Lost Future Past Timeline (Before Time Travel) & ODD NUMBER CHAPTERS=Current Past Timeline (After Time Travel). Take care!**

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

 _There is a time and a place for everything._ Unfortunately, the renowned genius of their generation couldn't stop giggling like a schoolgirl as Yoruichi crouched down on one of the high branches in the forest. Glaring his way, she shushed him then turned back to look at the pack of Hollows roaming about beneath their very feet.

This was supposed to be a class mission where they would observe the Hollows then dispatch of them quickly, but that plan went out the window when a large Hollow appeared out of nowhere and scattered their group as the students panicked and fled the scene, completely ignoring the instructors calling for them to stick together. It had happened so quickly, all Yoruichi saw was a blur of black that sliced its way through the Hollows that had begun preying on the helpless students.

When she got a better look at what it was that saved them, she recognized its face from yesterday. With that head of orange hair, there was no way she'd forget the man.

He stood up straight as he took a quick glance around to make sure all the students were safe before turning to her and giving her the same teasing smirk that he gave her yesterday.

Before any words could be said, the sound of more hollows shrieking from the forest caused them to look over to see a large horde of hollows swarming in on the students near them. Acting quickly, Yoruichi grabbed Kisuke's collar and turned to flee but was stopped short by the man's hand on her shoulder. Turning back to him, she saw his face fixed into a commanding scowl which frightened her a bit but she held fast onto her instincts.

"Go up into the trees and stay there until I call for you. Try to gather any others with you too. I'll take care of the rest," he said, turning back to the Hollows and dashing into the fray.

She tightened her grip on Kisuke before hopping up into the trees, making sure that they were out of sight from the Hollows down below. Situating herself so that she would be ready for a quick escape, she turned to look at Kisuke and immediately scowled at the teasing grin on his face. It seems that she wasn't the only one who recognized their savior.

"Shut up, Kisuke."

"I didn't say anything."

And that is how they got into their situation, crouching up in the trees as Kisuke couldn't seem to be able to contain his giggling, and it annoyed her to no end.

* * *

Ichigo slashed his way through the incoming group of Hollows before tossing another student out of harm's way. There was no way this many Hollows could have gathered so quickly. Even though the far reaches of Rukongai were known to inhabit many dangerous creatures including the spawn of low level Hollows, the sheer number of them currently nipping his way were ludicrous. He couldn't help but point fingers at Aizen for doing this as this was something he would do for God knows what. But seeing as Yoruichi was still in the Academy, meaning that Aizen wouldn't be much older than she was now, Ichigo couldn't see what else could've caused this sudden influx of Hollows so quickly.

That is until he smelled the scent of Hollow bait lingering somewhere beyond the legion of Hollows currently swarming him and the instructors nearby. His Hollow senses were tingling from the sudden intake of that information before he sent out a wordless Getsuga that cleaved through the Hollows before him with ease and sprinting further into the forest towards where he sensed its location.

* * *

Honestly, Yoruichi is not so surprised that their presence was discovered. As she not so discreetly shot another glare towards Kisuke running besides her, she made sure that the other students that they managed to pick up were keeping in pace with them. A few of them seemed to be tiring out and panting from overexertion but the rest seemed fine with keeping up to the current speed.

The group of Hollows chasing them snarled in a mangled frenzy of grunts and roars as the group was slowly growing with each Hollow joining the chase. With each student losing their stamina, their group grew slower and the current gang of hungry Hollows were catching up to them, which they noticed as the Hollows started nipping towards some of the students who shouted in dismay.

Yoruichi needed to find the carrot top, and fast.

* * *

Three large Hollows dashed towards the speeding horde of their fellow Hollows barreling towards them before being bifurcated clean in two. A blur of black buzzed into view and Ichigo fixed his gaze upon the hunched back of some mysterious person. Striding up to its side, he taps his blade on the person's shoulder and is immediately caught in surprise as the person grabs his blade with fierce speed. Blood is seen spilling out of the side of its hand as it turns its head ominously towards Ichigo.

It was a boy with a scraggly appearance, clothed in nothing but rags. He looked like nothing much until he bares his teeth in a feral grin and piercing golden eyes meet his own. The dirt on his face and the shadow of the forest cascade his visage into that of a man much older than him. A man that should have been dead; a man who lives today.

Ichigo rips his sword out of his grip and takes a small step back as the boy turns halfway facing him, giving a near perfect profile of his face. Ichigo's brow furrows in short tempered anger, before attempting to relax his form. The boy continues to gaze curiously, eminently at his figure before turning his face more towards him as he stood up.

The scraggly form, the near constant grin, haunting eyes of gold, and a head of blue hair.

"Mayuri."

* * *

 **And there! Haha! I know, I left ya on a cliffhanger. So, here we have the madman himself: Mayuri Kurotsuchi! So sorry for coming back with this kind of work. It's a short chapter, but it's something to get things going again! I'll try to keep up with this and not go away for another two years. Oh, I think it might be a bit late but uh-**

 **Happy New Year? -Ethen~**


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